If you’re responsible for recruiting, then you know how important the candidate experience is. In fact, research from IBM shows that candidates who are satisfied with the candidate experience are 38% more likely to accept a job offer – a key advantage to attract and hire talent before the competition does. And as the pandemic continues, delivering a positive candidate experience that offers job seekers a streamlined process can further set you apart.

New circumstances demand a new approach

With many people working from home and balancing family life with work life at levels not seen before, you probably give employees greater flexibility to get their job done. But what about your candidates? They have the same pressures: balancing their current responsibilities, making sure their kids are set up for remote school, taking the dog for a walk and addressing the other things that can pop up in the new reality of work – on top of looking for a new job.

So, if candidates have to follow too many steps, spend too much time on the application or need to download different platforms to advance in the process, they are more likely to lose interest and drop out. Meanwhile, more than 70% of candidates who have a negative experience are likely to tell others, which can affect your employer brand and make it harder to attract the right talent.

How can you deliver a great candidate experience that makes it easy for job seekers to show you their strengths – while being respectful of their time amid a global pandemic?

Interviewing candidates on their time

Video interviewing can be a great solution, letting candidates show you their skills and experience in ways that a resume or LinkedIn profile can’t capture. The challenge is that many platforms are clunky. Users have to download an app and test it out to make sure it works. Or they have to update their existing software to accommodate a plug-in. And then, of course, someone will inevitably contend with connectivity problems. Not to mention the issue of scheduling if you want to conduct a live interview.

Wedge offers a new approach to conduct phone screenings and video interviews that eliminates the hassles of other platforms and improves the candidate experience. With this solution, you simply invite candidates to participate in a one-way video interview, for which they are supplied the questions and can answer on their own time. Rather than going back and forth to find a time that works and taking time in between juggling priorities during the day, the candidate can complete their video interview whenever it works for them.

Additionally, Wedge removes a common challenge for other video interview platforms – the candidate often has to download a certain software to use the platform. This extra step can cause a hassle and lead them to drop off. Instead, Wedge can be accessed from any web browser – no additional download or technology required. The result is a streamlined and seamless experience for all involved.

Offering a candidate-first approach

While the candidate experience has always been vital to attracting and engaging top talent, the pandemic has only echoed the need to take a candidate-first approach. With an easy-to-use platform for applicants to show you their strengths via pre-recorded video, you can deliver a truly exceptional candidate experience. And because of the speed and simplicity, deliver an exceptional recruiter experience, too.